GCSE Mathematics: What formulae must candidates recall in GCSE (9-1) mathematics?

The formulae that we cannot provide fall into two types:

1. Formulae candidates should be able to recall and use.

These are listed in the OCR Specification in 6.02d (the Specification is available to download from Teach Cambridge.

All candidates are required to recall and use:

• the circumference and area of a circle formulae
• Pythagoras’ theorem
• trigonometry ratio formulae.

Higher tier candidates should additionally be able to recall and use:

• the quadratic formula
• the sine and cosine rules
• area of a triangle = ½absinC .

 2. Formulae that should be derived or informally understood.

Those for all candidates are the formulae for:

• compound interest (statement 5.03a)
• area of a trapezium (statement 10.03c)
• volume of a prism (statement 10.04a)
• addition law of probability (statement 11.02e).

For Higher tier candidates there is additionally the multiplication law of probability (statement 11.02f).